Illuminated Fitness by Dhaka Flow: For mind, body and spirit

After a few consecutive successful events, Dhaka Flow returned with yet another festival. This time around they joined hands with BD Runners to host a two-day-long festival titled 'Illuminated Fitness.' Held at the Gulshan Lake Society Park from 10 to 11 November,  this was the second edition of 'Illuminated Fitness' after its first run in January earlier this year.

The event focused on three different aspects of 'Holistic Wellness' - mind, body and spirit. In accordance with its theme, various activities continued throughout the two days.

The 'Yogashala,' on one side of the park, was designated for fitness activities throughout the day, which included Yoga, functional fitness sessions, zumba, Bangla classical dance and singing circles. 

On the other side of the park, the amphitheatre was a stage for panel discussions involving influential figures where many important topics surrounding wellness, such as mental health, climate change and sustainability were discussed.

'Heartbeat Grove,' a dance session aimed to promote fitness, was hosted by content creator and acclaimed choreographer Ridy Sheikh. Speaking about her session, Ridy told The Business Standard, "Dance is for everyone. My session aimed to promote fitness, fun and art and it did receive a very good response." 

A special attraction of the festival was the candlelight vigil - a prayer to show solidarity for Palestine, which was held at the end of the first day at the amphitheatre. 

Apart from the sessions and events, the park grounds were filled with small food and drink stalls. The menus were specially curated to provide healthy options to fit the theme of the festival. Brands like 'Perfe Greek Yoghurt,' 'Slurp,' 'Waffle Up' and many other vendors catered to the crowd on both days, making sure that along with the mind, body and spirit, the taste buds remained satisfied as well. 

"Though the attendance on the first day was very low, once everybody got to know about the event, there was a really big crowd on the second day," said Zaka, one of the volunteers.

The event became a powerful attraction for people from all walks of life. The park walk saw children on strollers, to elderly couples, all enjoying every bit of the event. 

Branded as a festival for yoga and wellness, the event was a partnership between Dhaka Flow and BD Runners and powered by Pathao. The event was further supported by Aarong Earth, Prime Bank Limited, Renata Limited, Popular Pharmaceuticals and Turaag Active.